I cooked: Nutty Pasta

This is one of my faves! It can be a stand-alone meal and it works as a side dish.

When I made the transition to a plant-based diet, the one thing I found hardest to give up was cheese. For a while I was a cheese-eating vegan as I had managed to avoid everything else! I’d read about people using different things to substitute cheese so I concocted this recipe.

Add 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashew nuts to 1 cup of water and let them soak for a few minutes.

Add both to a blender along with 1 tablespoon of Violife cream cheese, half a cup of soy milk and a sprinkle of mixed herbs.

Blend it!

Cook your pasta and drain it. I used approximately 5 cups of pasta but you can adjust it depending on personal preference.

While the pasta is cooking, finely chop a quarter of a red onion and 2 portobello mushrooms.

Add the blended sauce to a saucepan on a low heat, add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and half a cup of soy milk, the onion and mushrooms. Stir and wait for it to boil.

Add pasta, stir it all together and viola!

The cashews make it really filling and add protein, while the mixture of nuts, nutritional yeast and Violife give it a nutty cheesy taste. I always make enough so I have lunch for the next day as well; it’s yummy cold too!

What do you use as a cheese substitute?
Or do you avoid it all together?